Abstract
Among the papers of Goettingen orientalist Paul de Lagarde, a considerable number of letters exchanged with Jules Oppert have been preserved. In their exchanges, which cover the period from 1875 to 1890, the two scholars, who share a certain - albeit very different - affinity with France, discuss their work and publications and, in so doing, also address questions fundamental to the development of Oriental studies in their time. Cuneiform studies - Persian, Akkadian and Sumerian - are central to the book, as is Eberhard Schrader's Berlin school of Assyriology. Lagarde's and Oppert's attitudes appear clearly in their comments on the "Gutschmid" controversy, which is extensively discussed in their correspondence.
The presentation will introduce the material and attempt a preliminary assessment of its potential for future research into the history of Orientalism.
